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According to physics, power is the ability to do work over time, and work is the displacement of a physical mass in the direction of the force applied.

By that definition, what is the most powerful act ever performed by a Dark Side user? How does this compare to acts using the Light Side? Acts by groups are also of interest. Legends or canon acceptable.

thegreatjedi: Edited question to make the OP's definition of the question's context more obvious so that it is recognisable this isn't opinion-based.

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  • Few Megawatts of force lighting?
    – Yasskier
    Commented Feb 10, 2016 at 2:47
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    I believe its too opinion based because its hard to compare actions - what is more powerful - killing someone with a though or healing someone with same effort? What is more powerful - atomic bomb or love?
    – Yasskier
    Commented Feb 10, 2016 at 3:29
  • A-bomb trumps love every time. So does giant rocks.
    – Mazura
    Commented Feb 10, 2016 at 3:37
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    And of course for the XKCD readers, Yoda can output approximately 19kW.
    – Ian
    Commented Feb 10, 2016 at 14:51
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    @CreationEdge I edited his question to make the definition of his context clearer and complete. It's really no debate though, if you studied even the most foundational physics in school, his original though incomplete definition is immediately recognisable for what it is. This question should be edited to prevent misinterpretation, but it shouldn't be closed for a reason that the correct interpretation is not.
    – thegreatjedi
    Commented Feb 11, 2016 at 18:50

3 Answers 3

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Legends:

Joruus C'baoth, while having entire starships worth of crews under mind control, commenced a highly choreographed planetary bombardment of Coruscant. To the best of my knowledge no other force users dark or light have ever exhibited a greater power, the ruse notwithstanding. Simultaneously controlling the skeleton crews manning multiple ships designed to be crewed by thousands is the real achievement.

If power is the ability to do work over time, I sure hope he wasn't getting paid on hourly.

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    I'd argue against this, saying that Sidious' hiding of the Lusankya was a more powerful act. He landed an Imperial Class Star Destroyer (on of the really big ones) onto the surface of Coruscant in view of trillions of people, and then used mind control to make every single one of them, including all Jedi, to forget it was there and built over top of it.
    – user45549
    Commented Feb 10, 2016 at 15:13
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    @Hatandboots The Lusankya was actually an Executor class. The idea of the Emperor using the Force to influence memory on a massive scale is speculation ... But I agree it's potentially a very impressive feat and wasn't aware of the Lusyanka before, so thank you
    – Peter
    Commented Feb 10, 2016 at 16:53
  • @Hatandboots - I'd up-vote that and even suggest it be accepted. Except, was it a history lesson (second hand information) or did it actually happen as you read it? Where's this story from?
    – Mazura
    Commented Feb 10, 2016 at 22:01
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    @Mazura We see the Lusankya rise up from the surface of Coruscant, killing millions in the process, In X-Wing Rogue Squadron: The Krytos Trap. The book speculates that for the ship to have been buried Palpatine must have used force persuasion on a mass scale.
    – user45549
    Commented Feb 11, 2016 at 2:39
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Power: The ability to do work over time.

In physics, a force is said to do work if, when acting on a body, there is a displacement of the point of application in the direction of the force. - Wikipedia

See the Sith Magic Supernova.

Naga Sadow was the first on record to use it to blow up two stars (by way of ripping their cores out) to repel a pursuing Republic fleet.

Considering that a single star usually contains several times more mass than all the rest of the star system combined, I'd dare say ripping the cores out of two stars is probably the most work done by any sentient-induced Force ever.

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I have two answers, if it pleases the court.

As you included the Legends tag, let me introduce you to two characters whose actions make mind control and storms seem like child's play.

Darth Nihilus

DN

Nihilus was a Sith lord created by the activation of a Mass Shadows Generator superweapon on Malachor V, during the Mandalorian Wars.
He was originally a normal man who, stuck on the planet when the Generator went off, became a wound in the Force. His resulting hunger for Force energy resulted in him Forcefully taking away the energy from people, killing them.

Nihilus was responsible for the devastation of the planet Katarr in 3952 BBY, killing and absorbing the Force energy of the Jedi at the Conclave on Katarr along with every other living thing on the world save one Miraluka woman named Visas Marr.

DHK

Keep in mind that he did this by speaking.

Lord Vitiate, the Sith Emperor

SE

Vitiate, originally of the Sith race, was the Sith Emperor circa 5000 BBY to 3700 BBY. He obtained immortality through the use of a ritual which stripped the Force from planet Nathema.

Every man, woman, and child on Nathema died that day. Every beast, bird, and fish; all the insects and plants; every living being touched by the Force was consumed. When the ritual ended, Nathema was no longer a world. It was a husk sucked dry. Lord Vitiate sacrificed millions, stealing their life force to make himself immortal.

Vitiate also later sapped the life from the world of Ziost.

Compared to controlling hundreds of people, or creating a storm less than a mile wide, I believe killing every living creature on an entire planet to be the more powerful show of Force.

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    Darth Nihilus was the first answer to spring to mind when I first saw the question. +1
    – Ellesedil
    Commented Feb 10, 2016 at 19:39
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    Immortality is a good one and so is mass destruction, but I'd rather construe power as your ability to answer the riddle of steel.
    – Mazura
    Commented Feb 10, 2016 at 19:49
  • Vitiate's consumption of Nathema is what I'd have picked, good one. He also did the same thing to Ziost in SW:TOR
    – user45549
    Commented Feb 11, 2016 at 2:41
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    @Hatandboots I will add the Ziost reference. I honestly found it lame that they decided to do another "use the Force to kill all life" deal, but at least Vitiate used it for something.
    – user40790
    Commented Feb 11, 2016 at 16:37

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